It is known to provide ice dispensers that dispense selected quantities of ice. One such ice dispenser forms the subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,149, which is assigned to IMI Cornelius, Inc., the assignee of the present application and the teachings of which patent are specifically incorporated herein by reference. Said patent teaches an ice portion control for an ice dispenser in which a chute has an upper end into which ice is introduced and a lower end from which ice is dispensed. A dispensing gate normally closes the lower end of the chute, and with the chute filled with ice, to vend a desired quantity of ice, the dispensing gate is opened for a selected one of a plurality of timed periods of durations selected to dispense from the chute associated predetermined quantities of ice. Adjusting the durations of the timed periods varies the quantities of ice vended.
In a commercial embodiment of an ice portion control for an ice dispenser embodying the teachings of said U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,149, an ice chute receives ice from a storage bin through a permanently open ice outlet passage in the bin. An agitator in the bin pushes ice from the bin through the passage and into the upper end of the chute to fill the chute with ice, which ice is then dispensed from the chute by controlling an ice outlet opening at a lower end of the chute. When the chute is filled with ice, vending is achieved by opening a gate at the chute lower end for durations of time selected to flow predetermined quantities of ice out of the chute lower opening. The quantity of ice dispensed is determined by the time the gate is maintained open, and the agitator in the bin is operated for a time selected to refill the chute with a quantity of ice generally equal to that dispensed. Programming implemented through electronics with set protocols and values is employed in determining both the time durations of opening of the gate at the lower end of the ice chute for ice dispense and the time durations of operation of the agitator in response to ice dispensing to push ice in the bin through the bin passage and into the upper end of the chute to refill the chute. The ice portion control system employs pneumatics to open the gate at the lower end of the ice chute, while the top of the chute is permanently open and always in communication through the passageway with ice in the bin.
While the concept works well in the commercial embodiment, the ice chute is attached to the dispenser and needs to be removed periodically to provide for cleaning and sanitation. The manner in which the ice chute is attached makes it somewhat difficult to remove and reinstall, as parts of the attachment mechanism are not easily visible and require a service technician to work somewhat blindly. Further, the amount of ice in the chute is not easily viewed by a user, with the result that the user can not determine, before dispensing ice, whether a sufficient amount of ice is available in the chute to satisfy the dispense.
Additionally, as customers often wish to put a lid on a cup into which a drink has been dispensed, cup lid holders were secured to the front of the ice and beverage dispenser. Often attachment of the cup lid holders to the ice and beverage dispenser front face further limited access to and visibility of the ice dispenser, making it more difficult to service the dispenser and view the ice and beverage dispensing operations and limiting customer ability to see what is occurring. While not every ice and beverage dispense was affected, occasionally beverages and/or ice were overflowed or spilled. The result was that the dispenser required more maintenance in order for it and the surrounding area to be keep clean, and also beverages and ice were wasted, which increased costs and reduced profits.
Further, in the commercial version, ice dispense is controlled by a gate that is moved to a closed position and held closed by a spring in an air cylinder, and then opened by application of air pressure to the cylinder. The spring closure is not controllable and on occasion can cause the gate to snap shut, resulting in a pinched finger and possible injury to a user.